NEW YORK, February 9, 2026, 16:10 (EST) — After-hours
- Tesla ended Monday up 2.2%, finishing at $420.18 a share.
- Waymo, owned by Alphabet, took its self-driving tech all the way in Nashville—no human behind the wheel. The move puts fresh attention on when robotaxi services might actually roll out.
- All eyes are on U.S. payrolls due Feb. 11, with inflation figures following on Feb. 13—both seen as key for rate signals.
Tesla closed out Monday with a 2.2% gain, finishing at $420.18 after fluctuating from $407.29 to $421.25 during the session. 1
U.S. tech shares surged, with the Nasdaq climbing over 1%. Investors shrugged off the previous week’s declines and turned their attention to a packed data slate. “It seems to be the traditional buy-the-dip by retail investors,” said Oliver Pursche, senior vice president and advisor at Wealthspire Advisors. 2
Timing is crucial for Tesla now, with much of the bullish narrative hinging on autonomy and robotics rather than just ramping up electric-car sales. Over at Alphabet’s Waymo, the company announced it’s running fully autonomous in Nashville—a step forward for the rollout model it’s building with Lyft, underscoring the rapid pace of the U.S. robotaxi race. Waymo says it has more than 2,500 vehicles active in several markets, and recently pulled in $16 billion in funding at a $126 billion valuation. 3
Elon Musk turned attention to far-out, large-scale ambitions over the weekend, posting on X that SpaceX’s main focus is developing a “self-growing city” on the moon, arguing “the Moon is faster.” Reuters, in the same report, noted that Tesla aims to shell out roughly $20 billion this year as it shifts its focus to autonomous driving and robotics. 4
Tesla told investors at the end of last month it’s set to put $2 billion into Musk’s AI venture, xAI, and stuck by its timeline for the Cybercab robotaxi, aiming to start production this year. “The company is entering a transition phase,” said Thomas Monteiro, senior analyst at Investing.com, with investors already eyeing potential gains from software and robotaxi revenue as they wait for auto sales to bounce back. 5
The latest SEC filings listed on Tesla’s investor-relations page are both from Jan. 28: a current report (8-K) and the annual report. 6
TSLA’s price action is mostly riding on sentiment now, plus any hints tied to the autonomy drive—rates are lurking, but not the main event. High-multiple stocks like this? They’re usually first to react when those rate-cut wagers start to shake.
Tesla calls its advanced driver-assist package “Full Self-Driving,” or FSD, but points out the FSD Beta remains an SAE Level 2 system. The label’s crucial—a human has to stay alert, hands-on, ready to take over at any moment. That’s a long way from hands-off, truly autonomous rides, and the company isn’t there yet. 7
Still, disappointment isn’t off the table. If regulators drag their feet, deployments could stall. Add in expensive factory builds and rising computing costs, and cash flow could come under pressure—especially if vehicle demand fades or pricing wars flare back up.
Tesla traders, after hours, are eyeing Tuesday to see if Monday’s momentum can stick—and scanning for any updates on Cybercab production or a broader robotaxi rollout. Looking ahead, U.S. payrolls data hits Feb. 11, with the consumer price index following on Feb. 13. Both figures could shape the outlook for when the Fed moves on rates.
